In a move to celebrate the success of unicorns and foster collaboration in India’s startup ecosystem, Union Minister Piyush Goyal chaired a unicorn roundtable during the Startup India Innovation Week.
Forty leading unicorns participated in the roundtable, sharing insights from their journeys, key growth factors, and strategies to boost the overall Indian startup ecosystem. Minister Goyal encouraged the unicorns to form a collaborative association aimed at addressing challenges, particularly ensuring access to capital for emerging startups.
The conversation emphasized streamlining regulatory processes to create a more startup-friendly environment, extending support to startups in Tier-2/3 cities, and adopting best practices from the private sector.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) marked the occasion with the launch of ‘StartupShala,’ a 3-month accelerator program designed to provide early-stage startups with essential resources such as knowledge, networks, funds, and guidance to scale up. The first cohort will focus on CleanTech, with 20 startups selected through an open call for applications.
To inspire aspiring entrepreneurs, the week featured five dedicated webinars titled ‘MAARG Mentorship Series for Budding Entrepreneurs.’ Industry leaders shared valuable insights on the fundamentals of starting a business, broadcasted live on Startup India’s social media handles and the MYBharat portal.
Over 75 physical events throughout the week served as a catalyst for entrepreneurship, fostering India’s thriving startup ecosystem. These events ranged from empowering women entrepreneurs to providing training grounds for incubator champions.
Thought-provoking roundtables held in various cities facilitated stakeholder discussions, forming alliances crucial for shaping the future of the startup ecosystem.
The week saw the launch of a one-to-one mentorship series connecting startups with corporates in areas such as financial lending, operations, sustainable innovations, and disruptive technology. Corporate partners onboarded for this initiative include HCL, HSBC India, Qualcomm India Private Limited, and TCS Foundation.
A virtual panel discussion with global partners focused on five key pillars of innovation, including incubation, funding, public-private partnerships, market access, and government infrastructure.
Dedicated workshops were conducted in Mumbai and Hyderabad to raise awareness about government initiatives such as the benefits available on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and public procurement opportunities.